Society & Ethics

The lawyer who won a $6 million verdict against Meta says AI let him do 30 hours of work in 10

· June 14, 2026
The lawyer who won a $6 million verdict against Meta says AI let him do 30 hours of work in 10

What happened

Mark Lanier, the Texas trial lawyer who secured a $6 million verdict against Meta and Google for social media addiction, credited AI with a huge boost in trial prep efficiency. He told Business Insider that AI tools compressed what would have been 30 hours of work into just 10, speeding up his research, document review, and case strategy during the five-week trial.

Why it matters

This case shows AI doing more than supporting legal research—it helped accelerate complex trial preparation and execution in a high-stakes lawsuit. For lawyers, this means AI can significantly reduce billable hours and the cost of handling massive data sets. For businesses, it signals that AI will tighten the pace and intensify the scrutiny in litigation, especially cases involving technology companies. The legal profession is likely to see rising pressure to adopt AI to stay competitive and cost-effective.

What to watch next

Watch how law firms integrate AI into courtroom workflows beyond research and document analysis. New AI-driven trial tools could shake up how evidence is organized and presented. Also, keep an eye on how regulatory and ethical frameworks evolve around AI use in litigation. This is a first glimpse at AI changing how legal strategies are formulated and executed in real time, shifting advantages toward players who master these tools.

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